N4-G-079

お + Verb (stem) + します (Humble Honorific / Kenjougo)

Supporting / Humbly Lowering Your Own Actions

👀 Layer A: Visual Guide

📝 Quick Summary

This grammar pattern is a regular formula for creating Kenjougo (謙譲語 – Humble Language). It lowers the speaker’s own action to show respect to the person receiving or benefiting from the action (a customer, boss, or superior).

Structure: お + [Verb ます-stem] + します / いたします
Example 1: わたしがにもつを おもちします (I will humbly carry your luggage).
Example 2: えきまで おおくりします (I will humbly escort/walk you to the station).

🔗 Connected Grammar:

🔍 Layer B: Deepening

💡 Raya’s Hack

The Action-Beneficiary Rule!
Unlike Sonkeigo (which elevates the other person’s action), Kenjougo lowers your own action. However, you can ONLY use お + Verb stem + します when your action involves, helps, or affects another person (a superior or customer):

– ⭕ 先生の荷物を お持ちします (I will carry the teacher’s bag – benefits the teacher).
– ❌ 自分の荷物を お持ちします (I will carry my own bag – WRONG! Does not involve/help others).

For extra formal business Japanese, replace shimasu with いたします (itashimasu)!

🚧 Joy’s Mistake

Scene: Joy is telling a customer that the company president carried the bag.

Joy: 「しゃちょうがにもつを おもちしました。」
(Shachou ga nimotsu o omochi shimashita.)

❌ Used humble Kenjougo for his boss’s action!

Why?

Joy used o-mochi shimashita for the company president. Kenjougo humbles the actor, so applying it to your boss in front of others lowers your boss! To describe a superior’s action respectfully, use Sonkeigo (お持ちになりました).

Correct: 「しゃちょうがにもつをおもちになりました。」 (The company president carried the luggage.) / 「わたしがにもつをおもちします。」 (I will humbly carry the luggage.)